35.

EXPEDITION.

Jordan knelt down on one knee, his face close to Nahara's. The man's breath, like sour vinegar, was warm on his cheek.

"You nice and comfy there, you worthless piece of shit?"

He grabbed Nahara's right arm and raised it until it was level with his shoulders. Then he let it drop. It sounded like a dead fish hitting the floor when it slapped down on his lap.

Jordan would have paid money to haul off and punch the guy-repeatedly-until his face looked like strawberry marmalade.

Someone came up behind him and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. Jordan sprang to his feet and turned.

Annie frowned at him as she leaned away.

"You're above taunting a prisoner," she said.

Jordan grinned. "Just making sure he's secure, Captain." He looked back at Nahara. "And I'm not keen on leaving him here like this."

"You got a better idea? Looks like the collar's working."

"Kill him? Say he was trying to escape."

Annie shook her head. "Like I said. You're better than that. Come on. We're ready for the EVA."

Jordan looked at her. Then back at Nahara.

"In a minute," he said.

After she was gone, Jordan went to the supply compartment and took out a length of nylon rope. He quickly bound Nahara's hands and feet to the seat supports.

Once that was done, he straightened up and said, "Stay nice and snug until I get back. Okay?"

And then-for good measure-he punched Nahara once in the face.

Hard enough to make something in his face or neck crack.

"Grab as much of that filament line as you can find," Ivan said. "And full spectrum goggles if you have them. Gonna be dark."

"Lemme check," Annie said, and she hurried out of the storage and back to the passengers' cabin.

"That was McGowan's," Sinjira said, indicating the loops of filament line Ivan had picked up.

"He'd probably be glad to see it put to good use."

He-along with Annie, Jordan, Ruth, Rodriguez, and Sinjira-were scrambling around the SRV's cargo hold, suiting up and equipping themselves for the hike up to, and into, the cave where his brother was waiting.

Waiting ... for what? To trap them and kill them?

So it's down to this ... brother against brother.

And then: What's he got waiting for us up there?

"We're going to have to be on our toes," he said. "We have no idea how many Runners are up there or how hard they'll fight for my brother. If I can talk to them ... convince them that-"

"They can talk to this," Jordan said, slapping the butt of his pulse rifle as he entered the cargo area. He had double holsters strapped to his waist, each slinging a meg-10 pulse pistol with extra chargers.

Imposing.

Got any flash grenades ... maybe a nuke to go with that? Ivan thought but didn't say.

No use antagonizing the man he was going to count on most. He already seemed on edge about something.

"I'm sure you'll get your chance," Ivan said calmly.

Then he turned to Annie. "What other equipment do we have?"

"What do we need?"

Ivan made a quick inventory of what they had so far: lights, helmets, goggles, filament line and collapsed grappling hooks, flashlights, dehydrated food packs, canteens of water, and guns ... plenty of guns and chargers for everyone, except Ruth and Sinjira. Both of them refused to be armed.

Probably safer that way.

Good to know one's limits.

"We can take on an army," Annie said, but Ivan wasn't reassured.

He couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that they'd forgotten something ... something vital.

He also wished he had been able to convince Ruth to stay behind with the SRV and keep watch on Nahara.

"You'll be safer," he had said more than once. "Lock the hatch until we get back. No one will bother you.'"

But she had refused ... insisted.

Jordan, too, appeared to be rattled that she was coming along. Ivan wondered-again-what there might be between them ... and if it was over.

As for Sinjira, he could understand why she'd want to tag along. She'd be recording her ass off. There were few-if any-chips available of firsthand explorations on distant planets. Add the chance for a firefight, and it could be a classic chip.

And Rodriguez?

Come along or stay behind-either way, he'd be more hindrance than help.

Jordan, Annie. He could trust them with his life. He had already.

"I'm still not sure why we're doing this," Annie said as she returned to the cargo hold. She tightened a belt of pulse chargers around her waist.

"We have-" She looked around, making sure no one else could hear them. Then she leaned closer and whispered, "We have the data crystal your brother wants. I don't see why we don't wait him out. Make him come to us."

Ivan shook his head.

"Hell," Annie said, "we could start back to Earth today. Right now. Give the data crystal to the World Council. Deliver Nahara to them. Explain what happened. They'd get a couple of troop ships out here pronto. Enough to bring the whole damned mountain down on his head."

She took a breath.

"We don't have to do this."

"And if Kyros leaves? What if he plans more attacks on other stations ... or an ambush for us? Can we even get away if we want to?"

Another shake of his head.

"I doubt it," Ivan said.

Annie hesitated. Then: "I certainly don't like the idea of civilians coming along. This isn't some damn picnic."

"But they're not your responsibility anymore. They're not on your ship, so you can't tell them what or what not to do. Better that they're with us than alone."

Distracted for a moment, Ivan shifted his gaze over to Sinjira, struck for a moment by just how beautiful she looked as she raised her arms above her head and stretched her shoulders back to heft a backpack with Rodriguez's help.

She caught Ivan looking at her and shot him a wide smile.

"And Rodriguez," Annie was saying. "At least he's on official business. But we've seen how totally useless he is in a pinch."

Ivan grinned at that. Then he double-checked his weapons belt and adjusted his backpack.

He smiled at Annie and said, "Come on. It's time to meet my brother."

Rodriguez started having second-and third and fourth-thoughts as they trudged in single file up the winding mountain trail.

The wind blew dust into his face. It stuck to his arms and clothes with a slick, oily feel. The green sky was filled with towering yellow clouds that, for all he knew, meant a storm might be coming.

Let's get into that fucking cave and get this over with.

Delgato was leading them ... of course.

Even on the steep trail, Ivan walked with a swagger that Rodriguez found irritating.

He's a criminal!

No matter-he was about to learn the truth behind the cover story of a plague on Omega Nine.

The problem was, without getting his final briefing pod when they were on Hydra Salim, he-like the rest of them-had no idea what they were walking into.

And for all he knew, it would be a lot worse than any plague.

He noticed how close Ruth stayed to Ivan.

Following Ruth was the Chippie, who remained blessedly silent, for the most part, as she looked around, recording everything she saw, heard, smelled, and felt.

The SRV captain-Annie-was next, and behind Rodriguez, Jordan brought up the rear.

Whenever Rodriguez glanced over his shoulder at the gunner, he saw the man carrying his pulse rifle at the ready, swinging it from side to side as he scanned the area.

Wary ... like a hunting warrow ...

And what the hell am I doing here?

Without final orders, his first priority would have been to get back to the way station. If the message system was intact, he should send a message back to the World Council and get them to clarify his orders.

I'm out here because it's clear now what killed everyone on Omega Nine.

Kyros and the Runners.

He kept thinking this as he trudged along, placing one foot in front of the other with mind-numbing monotony.

More than three Earth hours of hiking passed under the blazing hot sun.

The clouds had long since blown away, and the emerald sky was clear.

Ivan looked up at the larger of the twin pock-faced moons hovering low on the horizon. A thin, ivory sickle. He took a breath, but the air was hot and dry, burning the insides of his nose.

He kept checking to see how Ruth was holding up, surprised by her stamina.

More guts than I'd expected.

The extra gravity was weighing them down, and he could see how exhausted she was.

But she never complained or even asked to stop for a rest.

Not until the others did.

The cave mouth, nearly halfway up the mountain-their destination-came in and out of view as they moved.

Years ago, when the Runners first established a base here, Ivan had come up with an exploratory party, but they hadn't found much of interest.

Just a large limestone cave that some indigenous life form used as a den.

But then we didn't go very deep.... We didn't go all the way in.